Trough.



M. c. WEAVER.

THOUGH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY ll. 1915.

Patented May 9,1916.

sfrafrns rgafrnufr ortica.

MARION C. WEAVER, OF BUSHNELL, ILLINOIS.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, MARION C. WEAVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bushnell, in the county of McDonough, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Troughs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention contemplates an improved trough which while being especially designed for use as a hog trough,may also be employed in various other adaptations.

The invention has as its primary object to provide a trough, the body portion of which will be formed from a single piece of suitable sheet metal bent into proper shape and wherein the other elements of the trough will be few and adapted to be easily assembled to produce the complete structure.

The invention has as `a further object to provide a trough which will be exceedingly simple in construction and which will prove desirable and efficient in use.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds and in the drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved trough, Fig. 2is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the de vice and particularly showing the formation of thel end walls of the trough, Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, this view particularly showing the manner in which the supports for the trough are connected to the body portion thereof, and Fig. Ll is afragmentary plan view particularly showing the forma# tion 0f the end walls of the trough and the arcuate flanges carried thereby.

In the preferred embodiment of my vinvention as illustrated in the drawings, the channel shaped body portion lO'of 'my improved trough is formed from a single piece of suit. ble sheet metal which, throughout the greater portion of its length is bent into substantially concavo-convex form as particularly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The longitudinal margins of the sheet are then bent to provide, upon opposite sides of the body portion of the trough, laterally projected flanges 11, it being observed upon reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings, that the margins of the said sheet are each rebent Specification of Letters Patent.

mnouerr.

Patented May 9, 1916.

Application filed May 11, 1915. Serial No. 27,426.

upon themselves so that the flanges 11 are of double thickness. In this way, the said flanges will yreinforce the body portion both laterally and longitudinally and while I have indicated that the said flanges are each of double thickness, still, it may be stated that this doubling of the material of the said flanges is not absolutely necessary. It will be noted that the upper faces of the flanges are flat and smooth and that the said flanges are disposed in a common plane.

At' the extremities of the trough, portions of the transverse area of the sheet forming the body of the trough are bent longitudinally of the said sheet laterally and obliquelyv toward the flanges 11 to provide end walls 12 closing the concavoe-convex portion of thetrough at its ends. It will be observed vthat the end walls 12 are transversely curved and slope in opposite directions. Formed on the upper free edges of the said walls are arcuate flanges 13 merging at'their extremities with the flanges 11 and being disposed in the same plane therewith. It will thus be seen that the body of the trough may, in the practical manufacture of the invention, be readily formed from a single sheet of material.

Connecting the flanges 11 adjacent opposite extremities of the trough, are cross plates 14 which are also each preferably formed from a single piece of suitable sheet metal. The plates 14 adjacent opposite margins thereof are bent laterally toprovide longitudinally extending Aflanges '15 and in mounting the said plates upon the body portion ofthe device, the flanges are faced toward the flanges 11. In this connection, it will be observed that the flanges 13 of the'cnd walls are adapted to engage the outermost of the'fianges 15 of said plates to" seat flatly thereagainst so that the plates 141: will coperate with the end walls 12 in closing the trough at its extremities. Connecting the plates 14: with the body portion of the trough are a plurality of rivets or other suitable fastening devices 16, which are arranged to extend through the flanges '15 and through the flanges 11.

Embracing the body portion of the trough adjacent opposite extremities thereof, are substantially U-shaped supports or legs 17, the bight portion of each of said supports being straight and adapted to engage the ground or other supporting surface, with the arms thereof extending upon opposite sides of the body portion of the trough. The arms of each of said supports are provided with laterally projecting lugs 18 adapted to seat against the under faces of the flanges 11 and are secured to said flanges by rivets or other suitable fastening devices 19. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the bight portions of the supports 17 are arranged to seat against the outer face of the concavo-convex portion of the trough, so that the body portion proper of the trough will, in use, be adapted to reinforce said supports.

Extending between the flanges 11 at lon* gitudinally spaced points, are a plurality of slats 20. Each of the slats 20 is preferably formed from a piece of suitable resilient sheet metal folded upon itself longitudinally to produce a triple thickness. Connecting the slats with the flanges are a plurality of rivets or other suitable fastening devices 21. It will be observed that the slats are arranged in substantial parallel relation and are adapted to eii'ectually reinforce the body portion of the trough.

It will therefore be seen that I provide an exceedingly simple and efficient construction for the purpose set forth and in this connection, it is desired to again emphasize the fact that the body of the trough may, by a single operation, be formed or lpressed out from a sheet of metal, the cost of manufacture of the device thus being reduced to a minimum. Furthermore, it will be.v noted that the use of soldered joints is thus eliminated while the flanges 13 of the body of the trough are adapted. to coact with the cross plates 14 in such manner as to produce a structure equally as efficient as though the entire trough were molded as a single casting.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is z- 1. A device of the character described including a body portion formed from a single sheet of material bent to provide a substantially concave-convex body portion hav ing laterally directed and longitudinally extending flanges formed thereon, the sheet of material being bent to provide end Walls closing the said concavo-convex portion at the extremities thereof. there being terminal flanges formed on the end walls and arranged substantially in a plane With the said llrst mentioned flanges, and cross plates connecting said-first Vmentioned flanges adjacent opposite extremities of the body portion and seating upon the said flanges o-f the end walls.

2. A trough including a substantially channel'fsha'ped rbody portion formed from a single sheet of material bent to provide end walls closing the body kportion at its extremities, the longitudinal margins of the sheet being bent to provide laterally projecting flanges, cross plates connected to said flanges adjacent opposite extremities of the trouglnlsaid cross plates each lhaving longitudinally extending flanges4 formed thereon seating against said first mentioned flanges and one flange of each of said plates seating against the adjacent upper free edge of the contiguous end wall of the trough, and substantially U-shaped longitudinally spaced supporting legs embracing the body portion ofthe trough and securedv to said first mentioned flanges, the bight portions i of said legs engaging the outer faces of the body portion of the trough.

3. A device of the character described in cluding a body portion having side walls and end walls cooperating with the side walls to 'form a trough, the free edges of said end walls being deflected to terminate substantially flush with the upper edges of the side walls, and cross pieces connecting said side walls and extending vover the deflected' portions of said end Walls with the said deflected portions forming a joint between the end walls and said cross pieces.

4. A device of the character described including a channel shaped body portion having the sides thereof connected by cross pieces, and' end walls carried` by the body portion and cooperating with the sides thereof to form a trough, the said end walls at the free margins thereof lbeing deflected to confront the said cross-pieces for supporting the said cross pieces intermediate their ends.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARION c. WEAvER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Intenta, Washington, D. C. 

